Five Kentucky Wildcats declaring for 2012 NBA Draft

Posted by
Inside Hoops

Apr
18

Kentucky freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague and sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb will enter their names in this year’s NBA Draft. All five players are projected as first-round picks.

Together, the five led Kentucky to its eighth national championship, a 16-0 mark in league play and the program’s 45th Southeastern Conference championship. UK finished with a 38-2 record, tying the NCAA record for wins in a season.

Davis, the National Player of the Year and 2012 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, blocked a national-best 4.7 shots per game while leading the Wildcats in scoring (14.2), rebounding (10.4) and field goal percentage (.623). He broke the school and SEC records and NCAA freshman records for blocks in a season with 186. He finished the season with 20 double-doubles which was the most in the SEC this season while also tying the UK freshman record for double-doubles.

Kidd-Gilchrist, an All-America selection by multiple media outlets and the NCAA Tournament South Region Most Outstanding Player, ranked second on the team with seven double-doubles including three against top-20 ranked teams, with the other three coming on the road. Kidd-Gilchrist ranked second on the team in rebounding (7.4), third in blocks (37) and steals (37) and fourth in scoring (11.9).

Teague led the Wildcats in assists this season with 191, ranking second in the SEC in assists per game (4.8). He finished the season with the second-most assists by a freshman in UK history, and his 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio in conference play was the best by a UK point guard under head coach John Calipari in the last three seasons. Over the last 22 games, he finished with a 2.2 ratio.

Jones ranked third on the team in scoring (12.3) and rebounding (7.2). He ranked 62nd nationally in blocks per game (1.8) and became the 59th member of UK’s prestigious 1,000-point club, finishing his career ranked 52nd on the Wildcats’ all-time scoring list. He is only the 34th player in program history to tally 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Only five prior UK players recorded 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 140 blocks.

Lamb ranked second on the team in scoring (13.7) while hitting better than 46 percent from 3-point range (46.6). He also became a member of the 1,000-point club in Kentucky’s win over Kansas in the national championship game, finishing his career with 1,018 points. He concluded his career as the top 3-point shooter in school history, hitting 47.5 percent of his 3-pointers.

Underclassmen have until April 29 to declare for the draft.

The 2012 NBA Draft will take place on June 28, in the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.